April can spring some weather surprises on New England, but mainly it's equal showers and warmer days
The forecast calls for equal chances of above or below-average temperatures for April.
Boston Globe
Advertisement
April may bring average precipitation across New England with more rain across the middle part of the country.
Boston Globe
One thing that is consistent in April is the inconsistency. During this spring month, we have seen temperatures as hot as the mid-90s - as recently as 2009, it reached 93 degrees on April 28. And there's the famous 94-degree reading in 1976 that hit just before the Boston Marathon that year.
On the opposite spectrum, Boston experienced a cold 16 degrees during the second biggest April snowstorm back in 1982, and in 2016, it reached 22 degrees on April 4. The years 1999 and 2001 saw just under nine-tenths of an inch of precipitation for the entire month, while 2004 had over 9½ inches for an abundance of April showers.
Advertisement
Snow in April?
Of course, there has been snow in April: Most famously, the
Since then, there have been Aprils with some snow, but with the warming climate, snow in April is becoming less and less likely. Although, it's not out of the question.
Kids sled down Garden Street in Beacon Hill after the April Fool's Blizzard of 1997.
RYAN, David L. GLOBE STAFF
Glorious daylight
We gain an hour and 15 minutes of
Once we get past the threat of a hard freeze, if you move your house plants outside, it's a good idea to put them in the morning sun for a few days before exposing them to the strengthening ultraviolet rays.
If you're looking to get some color in the ground during April, there are hardy annuals that you can plant. Pansies, of course, are one of the ubiquitous flowers this time of year. Alyssum, violas, and snapdragons can also handle the chill of spring.
Advertisement
Thoughts turn to flowers and gardening with the arrival of April.
Dave Epstein
The
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Hurricane Erin strengthens again near Caribbean Islands
Advertisement Here's what you need to know Tropical storm watches were issued for multiple islands in the Caribbean, though some were discontinued as Erin continued moving west-northwest late Saturday. Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they expect it to be an above-average season, with up to 18 named storms by the time it ends in November. A typical season has 14 named storms. The Trump administration has slashed the number of employees at many of the agencies traditionally responsible for planning for and responding to natural disasters, including NOAA, the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far, it is unclear how those cuts might affect the accuracy of forecasts. The weather service could begin hiring again soon. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin remains Category 3 as track shifts south; new system on Erin's tail
Hurricane Erin, after strengthening into a Category 5 storm early Saturday, weakened to Category 3 by Sunday morning and has taken a track slightly more south than originally forecast, the National Hurricane Center said. Meanwhile forecasters are tracking another possible system close on Erin's heels that could develop near the Caribbean this week. Despite recent wobbling, Hurricane Erin is still on a track to turn away from the U.S. East Coast over the next few days. As of 11 a.m. Sunday, Erin was about 200 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 14 mph. Erin's forecast track will take it to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas, and it will be several hundred miles off the coast of North Carolina by late in the week. Beachgoers along the U.S. coast from South Florida to Virginia are being warned of life-threatening rip currents this week as Erin passes to the east. 'While the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States appears to be gradually decreasing, there will still be a significant risk of dangerous surf and rip currents along western Atlantic beaches next week,' the hurricane center said. NOAA Hurricane Hunters found maximum sustained winds had increased to nearly 160 mph during a pass through the storm just after 11 a.m. Saturday morning, making it a Category 5 hurricane. The storm joins last year's Hurricane Milton as one of the fastest-intensifying Atlantic hurricanes. Like Erin, Milton also went from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in around 24 hours before making landfall as a Category 3 in Siesta Key in October. Erin's arrival earlier in the season makes it unique by comparison. The steep drop in the storm's central pressure over the last 24 hours makes it the 'fastest deepening Atlantic hurricane' before September, beating Hurricane Emily's 2005 record, according to Sam Lillo, a meteorologist and software engineer for DTN Weather. Most of Erin's intensification occurred during a 12- to 15-hour window overnight, according to Dan Pydynowski, a meteorologist at AccuWeather. By 5 p.m. Friday, Erin's winds had remained only 75 mph. The hurricane 'had all of the ingredients' necessary to rapidly intensify, Pydynowski said. Erin has continued moving west into increasingly warm waters and it faces little to no wind shear, which tears apart storms. The dry air that hindered it earlier this week has moved away, and it's far enough northeast of the Caribbean islands that there are no land masses interfering with its circulation. Several islands along the northeast border of the Caribbean Sea remained under tropical storm watches. Erin is expected to bring heavy rain up to 6 inches through Monday across Puerto Rico, and in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and the southeastern Bahamas through Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Elsewhere in the tropics Hours after forecasters began tracking a new system in the western Atlantic Saturday, a westerly moving tropical wave arose off Africa. Regarding the latter disturbance, the National Hurricane Center said, 'An area of low pressure could form over the central tropical Atlantic during the middle to latter portion of next week from a westward moving tropical wave. Some subsequent development could occur as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at around 15 mph.' It has a 20% chance of development over the next seven days. Finally, an area of showers and thunderstorms off the coast of North Carolina could develop some over the next 24 hours, but conditions are expected to hinder any further development by Monday. As of 8 a.m., Sunday it had a 10% chance of developing in the next two to seven days. _____
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Erin To Remain A Major Hurricane Despite Ongoing Fluctuations In Strength And Structural Changes
Hurricane Erin has been fluctuating in intensity as the storm undergoes structural changes this weekend, though it will remain a formidable major hurricane through the weekend. The storm is passing north of the Northern Leeward Islands, taking advantage of warm waters and weak wind shear conditions, and it will continue to bring rain, gusty winds and high surf to parts of the Caribbean before pivoting northward and passing between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast in the week ahead. The NOAA Hurricane Hunters found sustained winds at 160 mph Saturday morning, making the storm a monster Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The first Category 3+ hurricane of the season typically forms on September 1, so Erin is slightly ahead of schedule. Interests along the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda should continue to monitor the forecast. A significant rip current threat is expected in the week ahead from Florida to Massachusetts. (MORE: Erin Maps Tracker - Spaghetti Models, Forecasts, More) Watches And Warnings While Erin's center is passing north of the Greater Antilles, it is tracking close enough for at least some tropical storm force gusts in some areas. See the map below for the latest tropical alerts in the Caribbean. Path, Intensity Forecast Erin weakened slightly on Saturday after reaching Category 5 intensity thanks to an ongoing eyewall replacement cycle. The storm is expected to continue to experience fluctuations in intensity this weekend, but it will remain a major hurricane into next week. Erin is expected to turn toward the west-northwest into Sunday as it travels through warm water and low wind shear conditions north of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, but then, as the hurricane moves away from Puerto Rico, it should hit worsening environmental conditions. Beginning by Monday, a slow weakening trend will ensue as the hurricane turns northward. Fluctuations in intensity will continue this weekend. Later in the upcoming week, Erin is expected to pass between North Carolina and Bermuda. Exactly where this happens remains uncertain, but Erin is expected to eventually turn northeastward to the north of Bermuda. Potential Impacts In addition to high surf and dangerous rip currents, bands of heavy rain containing gusty winds will lash the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through Sunday. This could lead to local flash flooding and landslides where bands of heavy rain persist, particularly over mountainous terrain. Up to 8 inches of rain is possible. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are also likely across the Bahamas. By Monday, Erin will be moving more to the north between a developing break in high pressure. This will occur while Erin is growing dramatically in size. Between Saturday and Wednesday, Hurricane Erin will double or triple in size. This change will help the hurricane generate high surf and dangerous rip currents along the U.S. East Coast for several days in the week ahead. There is a high chance of rip currents from Florida to Massachusetts during much of the upcoming week. Of all hurricane hazards, 16% of all fatalities come from rip currents and rough seas. Please stay out of the Atlantic waters in the week ahead. The probability of a landfall from Erin along the U.S. East Coast is very low at this time. However, interests along the East Coast should continue to monitor this system for possible changes. Interests in Bermuda should also continue to follow Erin's forecast closely since its eventual turn toward the north and northeast might take it close to the archipelago next week. And parts of Atlantic Canada — particularly Newfoundland — should also follow this forecast closely, as Erin could end up tracking close to some of those areas late in the week ahead. Erin's Explosive Intensification Meteorologists first began watching the area of instability that eventually formed Hurricane Erin several days before the storm was named Monday of this past week. The system remained a tropical storm as it traveled westward across the Atlantic, weakening slightly mid-week as it battled cooler waters. Thanks to warmer waters in the western Atlantic, Erin began a period of explosive rapid intensification starting on Friday, going from a tropical storm to Category 5 in just under 30 hours, and from a Category 3 to a Category 5 in just under 6 hours. Erin has also joined a rare group of only five hurricanes that have wind speeds of at least 145 mph by August 16 since 1970, according to Dr. Phil Klotzbach. Erin is the first Category 5 hurricane since Milton and Beryl in 2024. Erin began to undergo an eyewall replacement cycle on Saturday, setting off a period of fluctuation in intensity and bringing the storm back to Category 4 intensity by Saturday evening. While Erin has been skirting around islands in the Caribbean, a wind gust of 57 mph was recorded on the island Tortola in the British Virgin Islands Saturday evening, but sustained tropical-storm-force winds have remained to the north of the islands so far. Check back to and The Weather Channel app for updates as the forecast comes into focus. Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.
